The Cult

Early history (1981–1984)

The band's origins can be traced to 1981, in Bradford, Yorkshire, where lead vocalist and songwriter Ian Astbury formed a band called Southern Death Cult. The name was chosen with a double meaning. It was derived from the academic term Southern Death Cult, used to describe a cluster of 14th-century Native American groups now classified as the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. The name Southern Death Cult also inspired by what the band viewed was the centralisation of political and economic power in Southern England (including the power of the music industry); there has long been a perceived notion of an England North–South divide based on social, historic and economic reasons. Astbury was joined by guitarist Buzz Burrows, bassist Barry...

Influences

The Cult cite their influences as "everything from the Doors to Led Zeppelin." On the band's early influences, Astbury recalled, "We literally went from the front of our record collections to the back. And then along the way we were drawn in by the likes of Public Image Ltd, Joy Division and Siouxsie and the Banshees. You might not hear it in the music but it's there." They also cite Bauhaus among many other post-punk influences. Duffy also praised Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers for a major performance he attended in 1977 and Siouxsie and the Banshees who "always had great guitar players with killer riffs." Duffy also hailed AC/DC for "the power of a good three chord riff", Pete Townshend of the Who "in terms of commitment to stage...

Musical style

AllMusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that The Cult "formed as a goth band" and later became "a stadium-filling hard rock act led by the shamanistic Ian Astbury." American vocal coach Ken Tamplin added that "the band's early sound was heavily influenced by punk rock and post-punk, with their debut album, Dreamtime, released in 1984", on his website. Astbury said, "our music is just melodies and guitars. We're like Big Country and U2, only better!" in 1985.

She Sells Sanctuary

"She Sells Sanctuary" is a song by the English rock band the Cult. It is from their second studio album, Love (1985), and was released as a single on 13 May 1985, peaking at No. 15 on the UK singles chart in July of the same year.

In March 2023, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) awarded the song a platinum certification for sales and streams of over 600,000. In January 1993, the song was re-released as "Sanctuary MCMXCIII" and experienced chart success once more, matching its original peak on the UK singles chart and entering the top 10 in New Zealand.

Background and composition

One of the earlier songs written for what would become the Love album, "She Sells Sanctuary" was first performed during the Dreamtime tour in the late 1984 and would become the last song to be recorded with the Cult's longtime drummer, Nigel Preston, who was fired from the band shortly after its release. According to Cult guitarist Billy Duffy, the iconic introduction effects were the result of all the guitar effects pedals being on at the same time. The recording was edited to include the introduction with the effects, whereas earlier versions started the song more abruptly. Duffy says he found a violin bow lying around the studio and started playing the guitar with it "like Jimmy Page" of Led Zeppelin to amuse lead vocalist Ian Astbury,...

Release

After its release in 1985, the single reached number 36 during a six-week run on the US Billboard Dance/Disco Club Play chart in early 1986. The band has released various versions of the song. Aside from the original 7-inch single, three other versions had been released around the same time on 12-inch formats: "The Long Version", "The Howling Mix" and "Assault on Sanctuary".

Critical reception

John Leland at Spin described the song as "one of those inane pieces of pomp pop that—through no fault of the band's — transcends its formidable pretensions to become a whomping dance record. The drums drive the thing, but the crucial sound is guitar — lots of it. Electric, acoustic, distorted, echoey, all chasing a snappy riff. Dopey is dopey, but sometimes, with the right sound, you can get away with it."